Tyler Hamilton suspension upheld

Tyler Hamilton lost his final appeal today when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Tyler Hamilton's arguments that his positive drug tests could have resulted from legitimate reasons. The CAS also ruled that Hamilton's two-year ban from competition is effective from the date of his initial suspension on September 23, 2004. UCI rules extend the ban an additional two years.

Tyler Hamilton made this statement on his website:

Based on my devastating personal experience over the last year and a half, I am committed to fighting for reform within the anti-doping movement. I do support the anti-doping mission and USADA, however the current system has failed an innocent athlete and needs to change.

Out of respect to fairness and the rights of all athletes, there should be clear separation between the agencies that develop new tests and those that adjudicate anti-doping cases.

Credible, independent experts, not those who funded or developed the original methodology, should be charged with properly validating new tests.

I don't believe any athlete should be subjected to a flawed test or charged with a doping violation through the use of a method that is not fully validated or generates fluctuating results.

I will also continue to support the formation of unions to help protect the rights of athletes. My goal is to keep other athletes from experiencing the enormous pain and horrendous toll of being wrongly accused.